Talk:The Hold
Place of conversation: Golgenna Reach - Scintilla - Hive Sibellus - Eternal Star Accommodations - room 512 Kardan: Let us review our options. We are stationed in a cosy apartment near the administrativ district. We have a persons name and hair(?), nothing more. Our psykers power finding her is limited to an area of 50 km² in a city over 4000km in diameter. Guess thats pretty small a chance to find her. So is there any information we had not considered so far? I mean, we have to extract her before he gets caught by some heretic elements also not described and therefore unknown to us. There are 8 billion souls in that hive and one of them is her. Come on, don´t we have anything more specific about her profile? Sirhan, you told us after Tonus searched the archives that our target was married. So I guess it is pretty obvious that there are more lonely bits of information feeling claustrophobic in your brain waiting to get released and put to use. Enlighten us. Tonus: Let me clarify something my son: The target, which we are to extract, is a male and I do not remember saying anything about him being married. Currently, I must admit, I am still quite overwhelmed by the problem of finding our target, Armarian Ancarel. Sirhan:You did not; but I did. His wife bears the name of Gelroal (Gelee Royal? Gal Royal? WTH?). Considering we are in a Hive the ratio is more like 168 cubic kilometers to 126 million cubic kilometers, 750-thousand to 1. And that is assuming he is in THIS 1 hive here. There is no more information to give you. I am under the impression we are set up ... again. If Ancerel is a person of note here, he will be easy to find but difficult to extract - if he is of no broad interest, he will be almost impossible to find but easy to get to. Tonus, is it possible to reconstruct from the genetic material how he might look like, and if yes, what would be needed to do it and how long would it take? As I see it, our other options are: 1) access local registration data 2) read newspapers and watch television 3) access local criminal networks 4) file a missing persons report or report him having committed a crime and monitor the local authorities. 6) employ 1-5 simultaneously and shoot everyone looking the wrong way while we do. Ceterum censeo Scintillam esse declarandam Exterminatum. Kardan: Dear Metal-Boy, do not son me ´cause there is no such thing between us. Consider me your special patient and if you like your bodyguard for that I´ll do. If we can agree on that our bond will work out as smooth as the perfect kill. Considering Sirhans ideas I would like to vote for point 1), 2) and 3) opting in point 6) as plan b. All the same an other point of view came to me I think we should take in account. What if our target is a rogue or not so rogue inquisitorial individual of special interest to our commanding officers and that heretic group is part of a retinue of an other inquisitor? I strongly doubt the idea of a heretic group for this Hive houses the Tricorn, the palace of the Holy Inquisition for this sector. Kilian: There is wisdom in the words of Sirhan. With the Emperor´s guidance we might be able to find some tracks of Armarian Ancarel and his wife Gelroal. It shouldn´t be to difficult to gain an overview of the degree of their public popularity. And shouldn´t they stand in the focus of publicity, we can still initiate a search through civil or ecclesiarchal registry offices. In this I would take into account, that we should not only look out for Armarian, but for Gelroal aswell ( she could be of help in the finding and the potential identification of our target-subject and further of use in the extraction...etc.). Depending on the gained results, we should plan our further steps. For now, we could agree on posing as some agents of the family, who try to find them as they made a heritage on some other world for example? Beside this I have to confess, that some thoughts quarrel me strongly: What, if Armarian or his wife are already hiding or in worst case dead? And what if they have assumed different names? So knowing, what they look like would be of great help in any way. Either this comes all by itself through popularity or we have to go after that. I am afraid that we might have to check obituaries and maybe the latest gossips and news related to that and attampted murder and the one or other freak event aswell. If our investigations have to go that far, we should also check the crosslinking of hive-informations around the planet. Maybe we can manage our data-mining from one point on the planet by technical means, Tonus? And finaly we should keep in view counterintelligence- maybe someone already showed interest for Armarian or his wife. Should it be that way, I wouldn´t shoot that person on first sight for there is information to gain! We already have doubts about the potential assasins, don´t we? Otherwise plan B sounds good to me.... The Emperor protects! Kardan: Father, is it possible for you to gain access to personal logs or search for our target through the Ecclesiarchy by your status or rank? If that is possible we could do a two way search - you and Tonus. In case of Tonus´ search I would strongly suggest to change the location randomly every few hours. More over I suggest to use different institutions so there is no special pattern in our search through public channels. For you Father I think it is best not to act to openly either so maybe you can facilitate your search through a small donation to some deity or another and therefor someone else will leaf his fingerprints in the system. Kilian: I am honoured by your care, Kardan, for my incognito, but to serve the divine Emperor and his folk as a priest means to pledg the whole live to that duty. This holy work is hardly done secretly or unseen and in fact it is public work. So I hope for your understanding, when I take the part of acting in publicity, while of course I am aware of the advantages in acting subtly and unseen aswell. I think, that we can match both approaches for the benefit of all of us. I thought it would be a good idea to simply check public channels, as for example the ecclesiarchal registry offices on my part, as I hope to find hints there about the wedding, birth or death -datas of Gelroal and Armarian or even the names of churches and priests connected to that. Of course this makes only sense, if one of that situations took place on Scintilla. But assuming we have luck in that, we could find a priest, who might be of use in describing or identifying our target-person, besides his wife. Moreover we gain the chance to find their livingplace, if such data is noted in the according documents. First of all it´s the easiest to check their publicity, after that we can still unleashe the searching machinery. Thinking about the methodes Tonus Ferreus might aply, I have the feeling that we try to acquire the needed data inofficialy by hacking into the registry-systems, do we? Well, that´s fine with me, but technical details are to be worked out. As already suggested by mentioning posing, I plan to work as the delegate "Pater Maximilian Thorn", who seeks Armarian and Gelroal for a heritage they made on a different world. My needs in that will probably be the according documents, that testify for my alter ego and the case, whichfor I play the envoy. This role might also be of use at other official places. More secretive work, beside that I would humbly leave to Tanisha Bones or Miss Mary, so I think it´s important to keep their presence a secret as long as possible. May the divine Emperor always guide you and watch over your ways. Sirhan: The idea concerning the inheritance sounds promising. It could be combined with monitoring interstellar communications, to find out if someone tries to make an urgent background-check on Maximilian Thorn or the supposed inheritance. This might expose either our enemies or the target. Kilian: You have got exactly my point Sirhan, but I am afraid, that there are still a lot of peculiar aspects in our case, which deserve our special regards. First of all I am still puzzled about the way, we received orders- I mean there was hardly a briefing and the amount of information to accomplish our task is also hardly enough. These thoughts trouble me even more, when remembering our last mission, which only in the end turned out to be an internal-investigation about or own inquisitorial department. What could this mean to us? What could it mean to our mission now? Is there some connection to the visit of Inquisitor Rathbone on Gallowglass? And so on, and so on... As things are, I take it as the Emperor´s will to find Armarian Ancarel as well as his wife Gelroal and finally to do as we were told, namely to transfer them to Gallowglass. However, the meager informations we have got so far really cause me trouble and I´d like to share that with you. Let´s start with that, what we know. We know, that Armarian seems to be a person of value to some potentate. We also know, that he is in danger of being killed or kidnapped and probably isn´t even knowing that. Lets also assume, that this might already have happened. Moreover we believe him to be on Scintilla. And finally but not least we know our orders. Taking into account that we have spent probably valuable time at least on transfer to Scintilla, I have thought, that we might find ourselfs sooner or later in one of the following scenarios : A) We find Armarian, before something happens to him and accomplish our mission. B) We find Armarian, after something has happened to him, but we are still able to intervene and accomplish our mission. And finally C) We find Armarian or just the signs of what had happened to him, and are to late to intervene or maybe we find even nothing. Furthermore we should pay some regard to Scintilla. It is the capital planet of the sector housing the high institutions of the Empire, not to forget the Tricorn, which is the Center of inquisitorial power, according to Kardan´s words. I find it bewildering, that we don´t try to make our first inquiries for Armarian there? I believe to remember, that we should accomplish our task inconspicuously, does this really exclude the cooperation with inquisitorial authorities as well. I have the feeling, that none of us wants to start the search at this point. In fact, I even have the feeling, that we will try to avoid our own institutions as much as possible, am I right? Maybe Kardan isn´t the only one to doubt, that it is a heretic sect, which is after Armarian? Anyway, inquisitorial insignia might have a lesser effect on Scintilla than elsewhere in the sector, as for the Tricorn is on the planet. And before I start talking to much and elaborate further plans, I´d like to put that to a discussion: Why not starting a query for Armarian at the Tricorn or some lesser inquisitorial office on the planet? May the Emperor grant us wisdom for the answer of this question, as it will bear a lot of implications. Kardan: Now that everyone has expressed his deep insight of the case by repeating each other I think it is time to move on. But there is one notion in that last canon of Father Kilian I will absolutely disagree with. "Why not starting a query for our target at the Tricorn?" I try to answer this by another question - through not very polite I know. What do you know about us except the half-truth relaid through one of us by a person we were send into this with no more than an infants knowledge of the cosmos? I strongly recommend to work our way around that hive of conspiratorial individuals trying to best each other by cripple their opponents retinue. The Emperor forgive me, but there will be enough obstacles to avoid so I think there is no need to waste ourself before doing any good at all. Besides we would not be here could the search be relayed through official channels like the Tricorn itself. So we will not contact anyone or anything connected to the Tricorn beside we know someone trustworthy there and that I am strongly dubious about. Right? Sirhan: Anyway, I am under the acute impression we are SO played here. If we do indeed manage to find Amarian and the Gal Royal, we should try to get him to cooperate and find out what the hell is really going on, because no one else is ever going to tell us, before we just fetch him back like brainless servitors (present persons excluded). It may be possible we are stonewalled at every turn and sent off again asap to avoid us receiving a real briefing by someone else. Kardan: Well, that´s fine by me. By whatever means you make him speak, remember he can be useful ;) Kilian: If we find Armarian, his safety is our first obligation, as it is to obvious, that he is not only of interest to some potentate and dubious groups, but also to revered inquisitor Gallowglass as well. Why should we otherwise be on this mission? Nevertheless I hope too, that we will earn Armarian´s trust and with that some informations. But now to another point: I am grateful for your honest answer lately, Kardan but let it be said, that the Holy Inquisition is one of the sacred institutions of the divine Emperor and His work is also done through the accomplishments of the people united under the inquisitorial banner. And as all human work is afflicted with stain and not perfect, so it is sometimes with the work of the holy inquisition- I can share your point of view on that so far. And therefore let us play some strategic scenarios, with the necessary humbleness before the divine Emperor, as He in His wisdom has already destined a path for everyone of us. So if we avoid the institutions of the inquisition, we quite likely abdicate from our own inquisitorial status here from the beginning on. I am fine with that, as we have other options and channels to find somebody on the planet. We already elaborated that idea. Furthermore we might still count on a late inquisitorial outing on our own behalf, should it become necessary. On the other hand, by deciding to play an absolute unofficial game in the institutional center of the sector, we could also completely blow that chance as well. You said yourself, that you doubt the idea of an heretic group at least in that hive of our stay, as it houses the Tricorn. In the one or other way this might be valid for the whole of Scintilla as well? In fact I think, that you made an allusion towards the high security standards and the purity Scintilla enjoys by housing the inquisitorial center of the sector, and probably not only that. So if we act completely undercover, we might sooner or later come across imperial, not to say inquisitorial authorities and in this case I don´t want to compromise our own department. Which brings me finally to following operative conclusion, still assuming, that our whole team shares our way of approach. I think that we should split. I have the idea of daily meetings for updating and planing between three teams, which otherwise act separately from each other. One team will take a more official part and interact with local and interstellar authorities. The second team should take the more unofficial, if necessary illegal part. And the third team will act as technical support for the two other teams. If we act that way undercover the sum of our opponents increases probably. I know we doubt it, but I would still count heretic groups to that, and at least two teams might have to face the authorities on the planet as that as well. Therefore each team should contain a trained fighter. There are further points to that plan, but before I head on I´d like to hear your views on that. Let me just say, that I have already the personal constellations of the teams in mind and tasks they might accomplish, as well as some special ideas to logistics and espionage-counter-measures. I´ll elaborate that, when this project finds your favor so far. After having spoken so much I´d like to thank you, my brothers and sisters in the spirit of the Emperor, for your patient listening and I´d like to apologize for my haughtiness before the Emperor as all human plotting is in vain before his endless wisdom. Kardan: Your faith is our shield, father smile on a yet human face appears and is gone an instant later. two rows of steel instead of teeth flesh between purple lips, rest of alabaster-colored face is unmoved. But we are representing the Holy Inquisition and in doing so it is our privilege to have an ever vigilant mind for that is what He summoned us under His banner. To represent His vigilance where others would fail. Question everything but only to such extend your existence is never build on doubt. A burden none of us can take lightly for it is a narrow trail He has us followed. And again it is His word through your mouth that will shine the light. And as long as you are able to narrow it down as you just did you are welcome to elaborate on it any time. More over I would like to hear the end of your story for it strikes me as a strategic one. a day later: Sirhan:We schould investigate what happened to Tonus, we need him to repair Kardan and we cannot afford to get split up like that by causes not under our own control. Kilian: The last time we saw or heard something of Tonus, he was part of a procession of the brotherhood of Mars on it´s way to some heretic piece of machinery, namly the warp-bomb, placed on the "Farway III". Our Investigations should start therefore at the local templum of the brotherhood. As I feel some pressure because of Armarian and the stranger that went ahad to G.M.C., I´am still in favor of keeping our strategy up with some modifications according to our new situatiuon. In short terms: .)We achieved a good and fast investigative result regarding our target-person. We found a hot trail and this is still our primary objective. I´d like to keep a high pace on that task. On the other hand... .) We invested money and personal resources in a save heaven, that already leaked out- it´s of no use for us anymore. .) Our rooms at "Etern. Star accom." were listened in to very likely from the beginning on if not observed and we had two meetings there with their contents most propably already known to Lady Rathbone and her envoy the assassin-lady at last. .) Not only our comouflage was broken, but also those of our shadow. The assassin-lady made some offer aswell as her mistress, Lady Rathbone. She gave us a deadline of 4 days to become her retinue as she claims to know something about "a conspirancy". .) We still have a clerk working for us, who should be disbanded from his task. .) We still have the unsolved case of Helena´s genecode, synskin and the warp bomb. .) Our technical team can be regarded inoperative and some tasks therefore as still outstanding, especially an escape-possibility from the planet. This are mainly the reasons why I still opt for divison of labour, as there are to much tasks, and our means especilly personal, temporal and financial become more and more limited. Aswell we should regard our cover as blown, because we were all together during our arrival and the meetings in "Etern. Star. Acc.". Furthermore we have the suspicion, that we were already under observation when we left Gallowglass, for the warp-bomb-thing and the ship, that followed us, and some other rumors that go around... Still I hope for something, namly that our trail on Armarian is still unknown to Lady Rathbone. To put it short I´d prefere to keep a team in Scintilla for the cleaning up. This team will also do all the investigations neccessery to find Tonus. The other team will head meanwhile to the mentioned point in G.M.C. as fast as possible and we will alltogether meet again in G.M.C. Details exist but are to be spoken about at some safer place... The divine Emporer is our light in the darkness! ----- Discussion Place of conversation: Custodium Space - SheolXVII.beta.orbital - Briefing Room 101 Kilian: Before our team splits up, I´d like to hold an final summary on our latest mission and to plan some further steps. As time is a matter of concern for some of us, our final meeting should be scheduled with high priority. I think, this is worth it, as some of us propably won´t see each other for quite a long time. At least we should agree on how and when to gather again... or has anybody the feeling, we should separate here forever? So there is still quite a bunch of impressions to work up. And finally whereever each one will go afterwards, go with all your heart and the blessings of the divine emperor! Sirhan: Je pense qu'il soit le mieux si nous disparaitrions. Je ne me fie pas à Sagisville. Nous decouvrirons notre-m^eme ce que s'est passé, avec l'aide de Amarian. Moi, je ne vais pas rentrer a Gallowglass, je compte sur beaucoup des agents etrangers étant là. Amarian ne serait pas secure en Gallowglass, nous devrions le cacher peut-etre en Acreage ou Granithor. * Universal Translator Spirit... ** I do not trust Sagisville. ** Armarian is not safe on Gallowglass, he would be safer elsewhere (Granithor, Acreage, etc...). Kardan: Alien tongue on this ship Sirhan!? I will not stand it! I thought you are about to study some dialects from the eastern fringes of the sector, aren't you? :D I do not know if I love but it is certainly worth to see you all again the time being. My duty is and will always be with the Omnissiah and His godfather. So I will enhance my self in His light to be a worthy bearer of His word. Our mission is not over yet and I do not like to see those who abandon the task before it is done. It is weakness and weakness is cradle for corruption and corruption is to be expunged whenever and wherever it occurs. My destiny is Gallowglass because of more than one reason. First of all Amarian, second but none the less there is the unclosed case of Helena´s genecode. And I hope at least two of you, namely Sister Mary and Azrael will accompany me to bring His holy light into the darkness it all came from. Kilian: The strength of the Emperor is Humanity and the strength of Humanity is the Emperor! All we owe is to the golden Throne on holy Terra and we repay by duty! These are the foundations of our doings. And as long as there is work left in this desacred place, none of us shall leave a brother or sister in spirit behind. The restless mind is one of the weaknesses of human condition- while it could focus to one task clearly ahead, it dreams already of the next one far away. We should not commit ourselfes to a haughty pursuit of false honors, but exercise humbleness now, for the Archenemy already crossed a boundry here. So I´d like to suggest to spent further time on the spacestation according to the intelligence of our own efforts. We heard that in about two days time a trader will arrive at the station to make buisness for Blood Well. This could be our chance to get a gripp on the Griffin/ The Templum of the Dark Patriarch or at least their middlemen. This is of course some work, that has to be prepared and done. In the meanwhile, while waiting on that ship to arrive, we could organize ourselfes and arrange the duties of everyone in the further course. This also means, that Sirhan could have a little time to make his visit to the surface as he wished. Tonus could make further inspections of the station and we could do some of the cleaning up here in advance and organize the restocking with staff loyal to the divine Emperor. Further I suggest to limit this action to a maximum of three to four days, as by then everything should have been arranged or should have happened, so that we can leave, everyone for the direction defined for him or her. One surplus limiting factor could be Armarian, but his condition is told to be stable for a warp-transfere of quite a length of time, so I hope he will endure these few days too, with the help of the Emperor. May the divine Emperor guide us in our decisions- brothers and sisters in spirit. Kardan: I hope you did not mean what you just said. If you do, I absolutely disagree with you, father. Your faith and advice is asked in dark hours to backup our souls when we are about to trip. More over it is needed in days of joy to remind us always to be humble in His name as His light shine on us the very moment. But it is not, and I repeat, it is not you using His word to diverge our assignment. We have a very delicate duty to attend to given by one of His most holy instruments - I do not have to remind you on this, do I? - and it is not that Emperor forsaken piss-poor excuse for a planet! It is our duty to report back our findings and Emperor willing we will be selected to do His holy work here. Of all of us you should know that. We have an absolute priority, an assignment our superiors gave us and I do not like the idea that we are trying to give us some rogue assignments of our own delaying such pressing matters as I addressed earlier. To be part of an inquisitorial retinue means to be chosen in an unbelievable vast mass of individuals loved by Him. It brings many advantages but it does not and it never should bring one privilege: to go rogue on ones own behalf. So I suggest we focus on our assignment or as you put it so brilliantly: repay our duty. Kilian: Your exegetic talent, Kardan, is surprising, as is your understanding of priesthood and priests... We repay our debts, I said, not our duty. Do you know your debts, Kardan, when everything you owe is to the golden Throne on Holy Terra? I assume you do... Give just one thought the chance and let us talk then about the most holy institution, as you said- and the difference betwen obedience and duty afterwards. We know who brought Armarian to this place, I don´t have to remind you of Inquisitor Uthere Gorm, do I? He ignored the conditions here on the spacestation, at least someone could have had that impression and there are some possibilities for that behavior- either sinful ignorance, sinful complicity or it simply wasn´t him, who appeared here, beeing maybe a similar problem like our Helena... I have to confess that I wouldn´t go so far as to count his arrival here to some inquisitorial investigation, as it seemed to be more like a part of a power game. Anyway, what I try to tell is, that we are able to gain here even more with the Emperors help. We only have to show patience for the next three or four days. In worst case nothing happens, as no ship arrives. Of course going that way is only possible if Armarians security and health can be assured, aswell as the punctuallity of his delivery. In that point there is no arguing, maybe I have to stress that out. If not we have to go through our options again. (PS an den Meister: Wie sieht es denn nun wirklich aus- wie geht es Armarian, was sagt Tanisha oder sonst jemand medizinisch begabter zu seinem Zustand (Ist er in einer Art, Stase oder Koma)? Was sagen die Navigatoren über die Reise nach Acreage oder Gallowglass oder wohin auch immer? Wie schnell kann das gehen und wann ist jetzt nochmal der Termin im Tricorn...? Außerdem wissen wir hoffentlich wer aller an Bord der Station und der angedocketen Schiffe ist, soll heißen ist Tanishe jetzt noch irgendwie greifbar für uns oder reitet sie schon auf dem Racketenschweif richtung Acreage? Wenn ja ist Mary noch an Bord oder auch schon weg? Läßt sich hier alles irgendwie schwer mit schreiben erledigen..., aber die weiteren Unternehmungen und deren Planung hängen auch ein wenig von unseren Damen ab! Bitte, bitte inputs, damit am Sonntag alles hinhaut, bitte beim Imperator!) *'Storyteller': **''Armarian's status'': Deprived of food and bodily fatigued Armarian has infected wounds and some strange kind of algae poison ravaging his body. Tanisha has put him in stasis and Lucius Crest has taken him into care of his medicarium station on board of the Faraway III frigate. A staff of med servitors and human armatures are at the moment consoling to his every needs. As of now he is in medical induced deep sleep with potentas nutritients being pumped into his body. **''Travel destinations'': The warp journey to Acreage and to the Fortress of Purity on Gallowglass are both very turbulent but also most probably very fast according to Farcerell Benetek, main Navigator of Lucius Crest. Gallowglass is in near proximity, Scintilla and Granithor are reachable entirely by stable warp routes, and Acreage is the farest destination but also reachable by well travelled routes. ***''Voyage Sheol 17.beta to Gallowglass'': 5-8 days ***''Voyage Sheol 17.beta to Scintilla'': 10-15 days ***''Voyage Sheol 17.beta to Granithor'': 12-20 days ***''Voyage Sheol 17.beta to Acreage'': 12-25 days **''Timetable'': ***''Invitation to Tricorn'': in 2 months and 2 weeks since return to the custodes station of Sheol 17.beta ***''Tanisha's Journey'': As of the end of the last session Tanisha left the station with Lithia and probably Mary in a hurry. There was not much time left and still 2-4 weeks of warp travel ahead (see above). Category:Gallowglass